S and F Athletes

Skill and Faith Athletes works to develop young men and women, ages 5–12, into well-rounded individuals by teaching life skills and fostering a passion for education, technology, health and wellness through mentorship and structured community-based programming.

Building Champions On & Off the Court

Every great mission begins with a story. Ours began with a little boy who was told he wasn't good enough.

As a child growing up in Bryan, Texas, I was labeled as having learning disabilities. Reading, writing, understanding lessons, and communicating with others were daily struggles. Throughout elementary, middle, and high school, I fought to keep up academically. Those challenges affected more than my grades—they affected my confidence and my belief in myself. Despite those obstacles, I was blessed with something many children never experience: a village.

My parents, six siblings, extended family, teachers, coaches, neighbors, and our church surrounded me with love, faith, encouragement, and accountability. My mother had an eighth-grade education and was the oldest of eleven children. My father earned a high school diploma and was the youngest of four siblings. We were not wealthy, but we never worried about our next meal or having a roof over our heads. More importantly, I grew up in a family that believed in hard work, faith, and supporting one another. Looking back, I realize my greatest blessing wasn't financial security. It was having people who refused to let me quit. Everything changed in the fifth grade.

When I was introduced to football, I discovered far more than a game. I found confidence, discipline, perseverance, teamwork, and purpose. For the first time in my life, I realized I was good at something. Football became the vehicle that helped me believe in myself. The game didn't remove my learning disabilities, but it taught me that my struggles did not have to determine my future.

That confidence carried me through high school, earned me a football scholarship to Tyler Junior College, later transferring to Angelo State University, and eventually inspired me to return to college where I graduated in 2000 with a Bachelor's Degree in Kinesiology and a minor in Physiology.

For the next twenty-four years, I dedicated my life to serving young people as a Juvenile Detention Officer, Special Education Teacher, Education Paraprofessional, and Coach. Throughout my career, I encountered children facing many of the same struggles I once experienced—poverty, learning challenges, low self-esteem, unstable home environments, and a lack of positive role models.

It became clear that many children are not failing because they lack intelligence or potential. They struggle because they lack opportunity. They lack encouragement. They lack guidance. Most importantly, they lack someone who believes in them before they believe in themselves. That realization became my calling.